Barbara & Peter Prothero moved into the village on the 26th March 1955, with their young family, David, Tricia & Paul. Barbara remembers it well as it was Paul’s first birthday…
The Business opened its doors on the 1st April 1955. The Garage was purchased from Pepper & Haywood and still use the key tag that was on the original set of keys. The Garage was built over the village pond and the inspection pit used to fill with water after heavy rain. Peter contracted rheumatic fever possibly from the awful working conditions. The village was very kind to the young family during this difficult time.
The first customer was the primary school headmistress Mrs Thelma Wilson. When Barbara went to register David for the school Mrs Wilson asked if Peter would look at her car. She remembers running back to the Garage to tell Peter that they have their very first customer. Apart from repairing bikes and cars they also ran a taxi service. This was when Barbara had to learn to drive to carry out the taxi work then mainly to the Doctors surgery and to Addenbrookes Hospital.
At first, the family lived in the back of the Garage, in an old Railway wagon, They then purchased the Carriers Arms in Hay Street, about 9 months later, but when the One Bell came up for sale in 1958 they bought that as it had the land required to have a new Garage built. this was built in 1961 and it consisted of a shop, a forecourt selling petrol and the repair Garage. The shop closed in 1977 and reopened as a hairdressers. The family reopened it as a shop a few years later selling a variety of goods, electrical, fancy goods sweets & tobacco, toys and wool. The business stopped selling petrol about 30 years ago. In 1986 Tricia moved the post office into the existing shop and was Postmistress for 36 years until her retirement in 2023.
A new shop was built in 2000 and is now the Garage reception. Sadly Peter died in 2002 but Barbara still lives in the house. David and his son Charlie run the business together, and Emily Holt and Tricia work in the office. Over the years the family has been supported by the local community and without their support we wouldn’t be in business today.
protheros-garage.edan
18 Cheyney St, Steeple Morden, Royston SG8 0LP – 01763 852239
